Compact or short bed pickup trucks and similar vehicles have become increasingly popular with consumers. This is due in part to increased consumption on the part of American consumers, who require larger vehicles to transport goods, either from purchases or for trips. On frequently voiced objection to such vehicle is the inadequate length of the truck bed. While traditional pickup trucks may be 8 or 6 feet in length, newer compact pickups may sacrifice bed length for an extended cab, providing only a 4 foot bed, or in some cases even shorter beds. Such shorter beds are inadequate to transport long boards, sheets of plywood, mattresses, farm implements and equipment, and some items of furniture, items traditional transported in pickup trucks. Even when the size of a single item is not too long for the truck bed, diminutive truck beds may for the user into making multiple trips to carry collections of items, like garbage. Multiple trips waste time and fuel.
Known extenders, when not in use, typically take up space in the truck bed or must be removed. Those that do stow do not permit use as a rack for ladders and other long items, or contribute to the integrity of the vehicle and safety of occupants of the bed in the event of a vehicle roll over.
What is needed, therefore, are techniques for extending the useable space provided by a vehicle and increasing the usefulness of that space.